Mark Donne

Mark Donne is a London based journalist, writer and political campaigner. His recorded interests include Latin American politics, English poetry and social justice in Britain. Mark Donne acts as a commentator on relevant issues on BBC News, Sky News, Channel 4 News and other broadcast news media programmes.

BACKGROUND:

Since 2004, Donne has worked for Latin American human rights organisations and appeared as a guest of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias on a live broadcast of his television programme “Alo Presidente” in September 2007.

In 2006/07, Donne was also a member of the small political team behind the Labour MP and anti-racist campaigner Jon Cruddas in his bid to become Deputy Leader of the British Labour Party. During the campaign, Donne publicly clashed with then Labour Deputy Leader Hazel Blears and accused her of hypocrisy for failing to support equal rights for British agency workers [1]. Cruddas won the popular vote but eventually lost the competition following preference voting rounds to Harriet Harman The Cruddas campaign however was voted political campaign of the year at the Channel 4 News 2008 political awards. Donne is also connected with democratic think-tank Compass

Donne is Editor and a trustee of online literary magazine Real Fits Journal and Director of a coalition of British charities and NGO’s campaigning for justice for the English working poor [2]

On February 8, The Independent reported that Mark Donne has called for the closing of tax loopholes for the very wealthiest in Britain and for a rise in the living wage levels for the poorest in the British economy.[3]. No 10 Downing Street responded by explaining that via their own tax initiatives "non-dom" business taxation would go some way to closing the disparity of tax burden between the richest and poorest. The broader context for this debate is the rising anger within the UK of the perceived injustice of the taxation system and stagnant levels of social mobility.

On behalf of charities such as Oxfam, Child Poverty Action Group and Gingerbread (One Parent Families) Donne leads a national campaign to urge the wealthiest Premier League football clubs to pay off-the pitch staff including cleaners and hospitality workers a living wage . Donne is a regular contributor to British print and broadcast media outlets on this issue.

[4] [5]

In August 2008, Donne set up Instigate debate with musicians Jon McClure, Carl Barat, Drew McConnell and Kieran Leonard. The rolling initiative is designed to re-engage young people with contemporary political debate and to call into question the effect of the corporately owned media on the British democratic processess.

Donne introduced the project in The Guardian newspaper [6].]

The Independent: [7]

Donne is reported to hold direct ancestral lineage to the English metaphysical poet John Donne and maintains poetry interests through Real Fits Journal and other London literary publications.

External links

• http://www.instigatedebate.com/
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/markdonne
• http://www.realfits.org.uk/?page=Article&story=4
• http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/38899
• http://www.compassonline.org.uk/article.asp?n=1297
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2007/aug/29/foreignpolicy.uk
• http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/campaign-targets-obscene-city-pay-787271.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instigate_debate

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Name	Donne, Mark
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